Calcium Ions in Nerve Cell Function

This work reviews the progress that has been made in recent years in understanding the mechanisms by which calcium ions regulate nerve cell function. It covers all aspects of the topic in detail, from the interaction of calcium ions with the external surface of the plasma membrane, to the function of transient changes in cytoplasmic calcium concentration. Much of the book is devoted to a discussion of the different types of receptor- and voltage-operated calcium channels, and the basis of their selectivity, gating, inactivation, and pharmacological modulation. The development of calcium conductance during ontogenesis is described and the fate of calcium ions in the cell is discussed. This volume clearly assesses the contribution made by the release of calcium from internal stores to cytoplasmic calcium transients, and analyses mechanisms by which this release may be controlled. The first book in the Oxford Neuroscience Series, Calcium Ions in Nerve Cell Function meets the need for a comprehensive account that draws together the enormous body of research on this important topic. It will be an indispensable to specialists in the field, and will also provide an accessible review for non-specialists.